It has been 50 years since Reach fell. At the Memorial of Light, the few veteran Marines gather. These are Marines who escaped from Reach on the Pillar of Autumn, through the Covenant boarding party, onto the first Halo Ring, and survived the flood. These are Marines that deserved the same glory that the Spartans had. These are the only two brothers that survived.
Civilians and other Marines also gather at the memorial for the speech. As with many of the speeches in this time, it is delivered by an AI. This AI, unlike the two most famous, is a male. He appears in standard hologram form in front of the audience:
"Exactly 50 years ago, Reach, our only colony off of earth at the time, fell. In the box which is positioned in front of all of you, are large shards of the plasma-glassed remains of the planet. These shards may have been remnants of the inhabitant Moa, the innocent citizens of Reach, the brave Marines that fought, or the Spartan team NOBLE, who fought harder than all of the others, the only reason the Pillar of Autumn escaped."
A standing ovation. Civilians and Marines go wild. Smoke and lasers emit from the sides of the monument. Lights flash everywhere. The Marines admire and agree with the words of the AI. At least, most Marines.
The elderly siblings exchange a furious look. One of them takes a worn out notebook from his satchel and walks up onto the stage. The other watches his brother with a big smirk on his face as the lights darken and the crowd silences. The Marine drops the notebook in front of the AI.
"Whats this?" the AI asks.
"You have no idea what you're talking about! You weren't there when Reach fell! We saw the Spartans die, we know what happened, but without my brother and I, they would have died much earlier on! The Pillar would not have escaped!" the Marine explained.
"Sir, if you could take your s-"
"Keep your vocal unit shut! Why don't you read this to the audience, and see what they think of it?" he said as he pushed the book in front of the AI.
The AI scanned the book a few times and then paused for a moment.
YOU ARE READING
Halo: Truth Behind Reach
Science FictionMany people on earth believe that the Spartan team NOBLE were the main and only reason that the Pillar of Autumn escaped. In this story you will learn the truth behind the Fall of Reach.
